Sanitary cover and strainer for milk pails



April 12 1927.

c. NELSON SANITARY COVER AND STRAINER FOR MILK FAILS Filed Sept. 29.1925 N El BUTT 5 r h B Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATE-S CHRISTY NELSON, 0F SQUARE MONTANA.

SANITARY COVER, AND STRATNER FOR MILK Pains.

Application filed September 29, 1925. Serial No. 59,386.

The present invention 'relates to milk pails, and more particularly to acover or strainer for protecting the contents of the pail.

. An object of the present invention is to taut in the frame to coverthe contents in the milk pail, the frame being constructed to fit in theupper end of the milk pail near the top thereof to utilize the wall ofthe pail as a support for the device.

A further object" of the invention is to provide a novel type of framefor fitting in the top of a milk pail or the like and which supports afiller cloth in position'which per-- mits the cloth to hang over theupper edge of the pail, and to provide a stiffening and weighing meansin the outer edge of the cloth to hold it yieldingly over the edge ofthe pail. A still further object of the invention is to provide a fillercloth with a hem extending for a considerable distance about themarginal edge of the filler cloth and to provide a foldable fiat portionat the intervening marginal edge to receive a detachable threadingmember to permit of the suspension of the filler cloth upon a clothesline or the like for holding the same spread while drying, the hemencasing a stiffening element which is capable of being bent so as toconform the cloth to the shape of the upper end of the pail.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwillin part be described in, and, in partbe understood from the followingdetailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same beingillustrated in the accompanying'drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a sldeelevation partly in section of a milking pail having the sanitary coverand strainer of this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts being broken away to showthe structure of the cover.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of "the cover, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the cover iuspended in spread positionupon a clothes lne.

Referring to the drawing 10 designates a milk pail of approved formwhich is provided with an upwardly flaring or enlarged body providing adownwardly and inwardly inclined wall and which has a marginal bead 11about its upper edge. The pail is provided with the usual pail or handle12 which when not in use is swung downwardly as shown in Fig. 1.

The improved co'ver comprises a framewhich is made up of a pair of rings13 and let ada ted to interfit and which are transversely inclined toconform to the inclination of the wall of the pail 10. The rings 13' and14 are shaped to the configuration of the pail, whichin the presentinstance is circu;

lar and are of such size as to wedge into the upper end of the pail forsupporting the rings therein.

The rings 13 and 14 are concentrically disposed one within the other andare adapted to clamp therebetween an open mesh filler cloth 15 which maybe cheesecloth, or other suitable fabric capable of being, washed outafter use. As shown to advantage in Fig. 3 the filler cloth 15 ispreferably cut rectangularly and is provided about three sides with ahem 16 secured by a line of stitching 17 for reinforcing the edgeportion of the cloth to strengthen the same. In order to stiffen theedge portion of the cloth, the hem is provided with a malleable wire 18which is threaded throughout the hem 16 and, as

shown in Fig. 2, isth'readed back and forth through both thicknesses ofthe hem 16 in order to firmly support the bendable wire 18 and so thatwhen the wire and the hem are crushed down about the head 11 of the milkpail, the hem and marginal portion of the cloth 15 will remain in suchfitted position.

The remaining side of the cloth' 15 is .provided with a flap 19 whichcorresponds in depth to that of the hem but which is free and unstitchedso th: .t it may beswung into open and closed position. This flap 19 isadapted to be held in folded position by a' bendable WlIn 20 which isthreaded back and forth through the flap 19 and the adjacent edgeportion of the cloth, permitting the flap and adjacent parts to be bentand crushed together about the bead 11 in the manner described inconnection with the other three sides of the cloth. Each side of thecloth may be provided with separate wires 18, and within the hem, theWires 18 may be bent or looped together to continuously stiffen themarginal edge of the clot-h.

In use, the rings 13 and 14 are arranged at opposite sides of the cloth15, the cloth is drawn taut over one of the rings, and the other ring ismoved into concentric position with respect to the first ring so thatthe rings draw the cloth taut in the frame and the cloth is bound firmlybetween the rings.

The outer edge portion of the cloth is arranged to extend upwardlybetween the rings as shown in Fig, 1, and the edge of the cloth iscarried over the bead 11 and hangs down therefrom. The depending edgeportion of the cloth is crushed inwardly'by hand so as to bend the wires18 and the latter, by their inherent resistance to bending, hold thecloth in such crushed position and (thus maintain the edge portion ofthe cloth taut over the bead 11.

After use, the cloth can be easily straightened out by bending the wires18 and 19 into straight position and the cloth may then be pulledupwardly to remove the frame from the pail. The cloth may now be washedwith or without removing the rings 13 and p 14. The wire 20 is drawn outof the flap 19,

the latter is raised and may be swung over a clothes line 21: or thelike and then swung back into position, -and the wire 20 rethreadedthrough the flap and the adjacent portion of the cloth for securelyholding the cloth to the clothes line 21 and'for holding'the cloth instretched position.

It is- (if course understood that various changes and modifications maybe made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically described embodiment without departing from the spiritthereof, and being restricted only bv the scope of the following claims;

What is claimed is:

1. A milk pail cover and strainer comprising a frame adapted to fit inthe upper end of a pail, a strainer cloth carried in the frame andhaving its edge portion extending upwardly for engagement over the upperedge of the pail, and a bendable wire threaded about the edge portion ofthe cloth to weigh the same down and hold it over the edge of the pail,said bendable wire being adapted to be bent inwardly against the side ofthe pail to crush the edge portion of the cloth thereabout and maintainthe cloth taut over the pail.

2. A milk pail cover and strainer comprising a frame adapted to fit inthe upper end of the pail, a strainer cloth carried in the frame withits edge portion extending beyond the frame for engagement over theupper edge of the pail, said strainer cloth having a marginal hemextending part way around the cloth and provided with a flap' betweenthe ends of the hem, a bendable taut during the drying of the cloth.

CHRISTY NELSON.

